Speaker of Palestinian Parliament Arrested by Israel, Hamas Says

The speaker of the Palestinian parliament has been arrested by Israeli soldiers, Hamas officials said Thursday.

A Hamas official, speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons, said Abdel Aziz Duaik was arrested Thursday at a checkpoint in Jabaa, between Ramallah and Jerusalem, as he was traveling to Hebron in the southern West Bank, Agence France-Presse reported.

The Israeli military had no comment.

Since Hamas seized control of Gaza from the rival Palestinian Fatah Party in 2007, the Palestinian Parliament has not functioned. Since then, the Fatah has governed the West Bank, while Hamas rules Gaza.

In 2006, Duaik was arrested along with other Hamas officials after militants abducted an Israeli soldier; he was released in 2009.

Hamas is listed as a terrorist organization by Israel, the United States and the European Union.